Rail bending and breaking device.



Patented September 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN RODENBERGER,

OF BRAZIL, INDIANA.

RAIL BENDING AND BREAKING DEVlCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,946, dated September 15, 1903. Application nea october 22. 1902. senti No. 128,321. No model.)

Be it known that I, JOHN RODENBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brazil, in the county of Clay and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefull Improvementsin RailBending and Breaking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Considerable difficulty has heretofore been experienced in the Vnecessary bending, straightening, curving, or breaking of trackrails, especially such as are used in mines or in closed passages, where the room for work is limited, and such appliances as are to be used are necessarily portable.

It is the object of my invention to over- `co1ne this difficulty, and this I do by means of a specially-constructed clamp and wedge adapted to be applied to the rails at the point where it is desired to bend or break the saine, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying'drawings, which are made a part'hereof, and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clamp and wedge embodying my invention in position for use on a fragment of a rail; Fig. 2, a top or plan View of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a similar view as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 1.

As clearly appears from the drawings, the rail 10 is an Vordinarytrack-rail and maybe of any appropriate size, although the size upon which it is designed for the most part to be used is a comparatively small size.

My improved device, as above stated, is composed of a clamp and a wedge. The clamp consists of a portion 11 in the form of a substantially straight bar having a projecting portion 12, on one side at about the middle and two hook-like arms 13 and 14 at or near the ends, respectively, which arms are adapted to hook over the head of the rail 10 and to rest against said head and the web therebelow on the opposite side thereof from the bar 11. A wedge 15, having a gib*a head 16, is provided, whichwhen the device is being used is adapted to be Adriven between the projecting middle portion 12 of the clamp and the adjacent portion of the rail 10. Practical experience has demonstrated that by the-use of this device'I am able to bend or to straighten rails at any place, as where they lie in the track, or to curve them to any desired extent, and am also able simply by scoring said rails on the opposite side with a cold: chisel to break them as they lie in place without difliculty. In doing this the wedge is simply driven in to the desired point in bending or curving or straightening, and in breaking it is only necessary, as above stated, in addition to score the rail with al cold-chisel and after the wedge is driven in to give it a smart tap with the hammer. When it is desired to withdraw the wedge after the desired bending orkstraightening of a rail, this can be easily done bya few blows on the under side of the gib-head thereto.

The device is comparativelylight in weight,

inexpensive to construct, and simple and cony venient to use, while practical experience has v demonstrated its great efficiency.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for straightening, bending and breaking rails, comprising a clamp having a projecting portion in the middle and hooked arms at the ends, and a wedge adapted to be driven between the rail and the Aprojecting middle portion,'substantially as shown and described.

2. A device for bending rails, composed of a clamp consisting of a bar with hooked arms and a projecting middle portion extending in the same direction as the hooked arms, and a Wedge placed inside the arms between the projection on the clamp-bar andthe rail and provided with a gib-head whereby it can be driven both in and out, substantially as set forth.

. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Brazil, Indiana, this 19th day of October, A. D. 1902.

JOHN RODENBERGER. [1.. s] Witnesses:

JOSEPH V. AYER, SAMUEL W. DEMPSEY. 

